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2002-07-26 Friday News The Friday News July 26, 2002 2002 N.O.I.S.E. Conference The National Organization to Insure a Sound-Controlled Environment (N.O.I.S.E.) held its 2002 Summer Conference and Aviation Noise Symposium in Providence, Rhode Island from July 17 to July 19. Mayor Mertensotto and Administrative Assistant Patrick Hollister attended the event. Speakers for the event included former Massachusetts governor and 1988 presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who spoke on the subject of high speed rail as an alternative to aviation, Michael Cheston, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (Jeffrey Hamiel’s counterpart for Rhode Island), and Ben Deleon, Deputy Director, Airport Planning and Programs, FAA. The conference also included tours of the noise-impacted neighborhoods surrounding T. F. Green Airport in Rhode Island and Logan Airport in Boston. Mr. Hollister will be debriefing the Airports Relations Commission on the 2002 N.O.I.S.E conference at the Commission’s regular meeting in August. MAC Budget Plans I received a call from John Nelson, MAC Director of the Part 150 Noise insulation program. He called to give me an update on the budget and capital improvement plans for the Part 150 program. MAC is in the process of updating the 1996 contour map to the 2007 contour map. They are formulating the map now. The tentative comment period for the map will be 3/03-6/03. They will submit the map to the FAA in 7/03 and hope to have the FAA review done by 12/03. They hope to have the plan reviewed and approved by MAC and the FAA by 7/04. The following funds have been allocated for the noise insulation program: 2002-$9 million, 2003 -$19 million, 2004 -$19-25 million, 2005 -$23.5 million, 2006 -$23.5 million, 2007– $20.5 million and 2008 - $13.5 million (until 2013). As of 2002, there are 931 homes left to be noise attenuated from the 1996 map. With the $9 million allocated, MAC hopes to insulate 205 homes. In 2003, $14 million has been allocated to complete 332 single-family homes and $5 million for 332 units of multi family. In 2004, the budget allocation is $19-25 million. There are currently 133 “fence sitters” (people who have been notified that they are eligible, but for various reasons have not taken advantage of the funding). $17.7 million will be used to complete 394 single- family homes (closing out the single family homes left from the 1996 contour map), or $11.7 million will be used to attenuate 271 homes (if none of the fence sitters come back). $5 million will be used for 332 units of multi family. $2 million will be used for the final school project (Visitation school in Minneapolis). $300,000 has also been included for design work. In 2005, $2.2 million will be used to close out the 148 units of multi family from the 1996 contour map. This number may be affected depending on negotiations with the City of Richfield. $8 million will be used for approximately 177 single-family homes. The 65 DNL contour should be complete in 2005, and $13.3 million will be used to begin the 64-63 contour. In 2006, $23.5 million will be used on single-family homes in the 64-63 2007 contour. In 2007, $7 million will be used to close out the single-family homes in the 64-63 contour. The 62-63 DNL contour attenuation will begin in 2007 using a 3- part test. 1. If the home does not have AC—they will be given AC 2. If the homeowner wants an acoustical test done on the property to determine if they are eligible for the 5db package—it will be done 3. If they have AC and pass the db test, they may be given up to $10,000 for reimbursable improvement costs. Xcel Litigation Please see the attached Sun Current article regarding the recent court decision on the Xcel conditional use permit. The City Council will be meeting in closed session with Attorney Pete Regnier on Monday, August th 5 at 5:00 PM to discuss the decision and future actions. Final Report – Natural Resources Management Plan Barr Engineering was selected by the City Council to prepare a Natural Resource Inventory and Management Plan for the City. Funding for this effort came from the Special Park Fund and a matching grant (50%) from a DNR Metro Greenways Planning Grant. We have received a copy of the final plan for review and comment. Diane Hellekson from Barr Engineering will formally present this report to the Park Commission th at their August 13 meeting. City Council and Planning Commission members are encouraged to attend the meeting or watch the presentation via cable broadcast. City Council and Planning Commission members will receive a copy of the report after the Park Commission meeting in August. Dodge Nature Center Plans to Acquire Ridder Barn Channel Five aired a news story Friday morning about Dodge Nature Center moving the Ridder barn to their property in Mendota Heights near Mendota Heights United Church of Christ. The Council authorized Dodge Nature Center last fall to temporarily move the barn to their property without permanently installing the building in its new location, in anticipation of a formal Conditional Use Permit application to permanently relocate the structure. Inheritable World LLC, the developer of the Ridder property, is anxious to have the barn removed in order to realign the access to the Hidden Creek Estates development from Dodd Road. Dodge Nature Center intended to temporarily move the structure late Thursday evening or early Friday morning of this week. This plan was postponed to next week because of the rainstorm. Moving the structure requires that Xcel Energy temporarily move a power line which will deprive some neighbors of power for a few hours. Xcel Energy had already notified these neighbors. The Planning Commission, at their regular meeting on July 23, discussed the application by Dodge Nature Center for a Conditional Use Permit for an accessory structure to relocate the barn from the Ridder property to Dodge Nature Center property. The Nature Center property consists of multiple parcels, and the Nature Center proposes to locate the barn on the lot line between two parcels. The Planning Commission had no objection to relocating the barn to the Nature Center, but was concerned about locating the barn on a lot line. The Planning Commission recommended 5- 0 that the Council approve the Conditional Use Permit for an accessory structure on the condition that the lot line issue be addressed, either by combining the two parcels or by adjusting the location of the barn. In addition to a Conditional Use Permit for an accessory structure, the barn would also be subject to final inspection and approval by the City’s Code Enforcement Office. The Planning Commission also discussed four other planning applications, one of which was continued to the August Planning Commission meeting. The remaining applications, including the Nature Center’s application, will be on the August 6 Council agenda. Retraction The Southwest Review article attached contains a number of errors. The paper will be printing a retraction/correction next week. Final Thought “A window of opportunity won’t open itself” – Dave Weinbaum Respectfully Submitted, Cari Lindberg Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Pre-application meeting synopsis, Southwest Review article “Mendota Heights Commits $3 million to Town Center project,” Sun Current articles “Xcel wins appeal in first lawsuit against Mendota Heights,” “Mendota Heights approves Town Center Developer’s Agreement.”